Page 18: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2016)

EYE ON DESIGN

Rolls-Royce is leading a project to develop preliminary designs for unmanned vessels. This is a concept image of a remotely-controlled vessel. (Image: Rolls-Royce)

Unmanned Transport

Researchers Explore the Future

YVONNE KOLDENHOF ith an increasing interest Unmanned Surface Vessel are just a few of expertise and developments for the Collisions at Sea (COLREGS). In more in the possibility of auto- examples. different modalities. complex situations the auto-captain may nomic sailing ships, sev- use a dedicated decision support tool

Weral initiatives are under- Combined Roadmap Unmanned Ship Simulation to ? nd a more ef? cient solution to pass way. MARIN is carrying out unmanned And because there are many common As well as this, MARIN is currently safely. This approach will be analysed ship simulations with the help of the Au- factors involved in autonomic driving, carrying out research simulating an un- and improved using the real-time dy- tomatic Identi? cation System (AIS). ? ying and sailing regarding the tech- manned ship sailing in an AIS-based namic risk index.

Today it is common to use the cruise nology, regulations, acceptance, human traf? c situation. In order to do this, control of your car when driving along factors and certi? cation, a project was MARIN will use its existing real-time, the highway and there are even cars launched in early 2015 to explore these DOLPHIN simulation technology and that can park themselves. In the avia- similarities. The project is funded by the implement a new tool to read AIS data, tion industry the introduction and fur- Dutch government and is designed to simulate this large number of ships and

The Author ther development of drones has made stimulate cooperation and knowledge develop an auto-captain. The real-time

Yvonne Koldenhof is Senior Project Man- ager at the Nautical Center of MARIN, unmanned ? ying possible. But what sharing between three leading research dynamic risk index, which has been de- the Maritime Research Institute Nether- about the shipping industry? Over the institutes: MARIN, the National Aero- veloped by MARIN and will soon be lands. MARIN offers simulation, model last few years there have been a number space Laboratory (NLR) and the Nether- part of DOLPHIN, monitors the nautical testing, full-scale measurements and of initiatives concerning autonomic or lands Organisation for Applied Scienti? c safety of all ships with a focus on the un- training programs, to the shipbuilding unmanned ships. Those of Rolls-Royce, Research (TNO). This cooperation will manned ship. The simulated, unmanned and offshore industry and governments. the May? ower Autonomous Research lead to a combined roadmap of auto- ship will navigate according to the In- e: [email protected]

Ship, Autonomous Work Boat and the nomic transport, including an overview ternational Regulations for Preventing 18 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • APRIL 2016

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